LITHUANIA: WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM COURTS CONTROVERSY BY POSING IN NUDE FOR MAGAZINE

Record ID: 647437

  • Title: LITHUANIA: WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM COURTS CONTROVERSY BY POSING IN NUDE FOR MAGAZINE
  • Date: 11th September 2001
  • Summary: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA (SEPTEMBER 13, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WOMAN BUYING AT NEWS STAND 2. TWO WOMAN READING KREPSINIS MAGAZINE 3. WOMAN TURNING PAGES AND LOOKING AT PHOTOS 4. PAN UP NUDE BASKETBALLERS IN KREPSINIS MAGAZINE'S COVER PHOTO 5. PAN ACROSS BASKETBALLERS HOLDING BALL 6. MORE OF WOMEN LOOKING AT PHOTOS 7. CLOSE UP WOMAN STUDENT BRIGITA ZUROMSKYTE 8. CLOSE UP OTHER WOMAN 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) STUDENT BRIGITA ZUROMSKYTE SAYS: "If they have nice bodies - they can show themselves on magazine pages. That is my opinion." 10. BOYS AT NEWS STAND 11. KREPSINIS MAGAZINE ON COUNTER 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) PENSIONER RICHARDAS ZOVE SAYS: "This idea is not original and would be good if could help them play better." 13. LITHUANIAN BASKETBALL PLAYER AGNE ABROMATIE WALKING IN SQUARE 14. AGNE POSING IN MAGAZINE PICTURE 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) LIETUVOS TELEKOMAS FORWARD AGNE ABROMAITE SAYS: "I was invited and I agreed. I like them very much, very artistic photos." 16. PHOTO BASKETBALLER 17. (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) STUDENT JORIS KATKEVICHIUS SAYS:"They are not so beautiful for nudes photos and I don't think this would boost their chances." SEPTEMBER 12 18. AGNE AND TEAM-MATES GARTHERING AT AIRPORT 19. CLOSE UP PLAYERMAKER LINA DAMBRAUSKAITE WHO PLAYS FOR BULGARIAN TEAM 20. PAN UP PHOTO OF LINA DAMBRAUSKAITE IN MAGAZINE 'BK ACADEMIC TEST' 20. (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) LINA DAMBRAUSKAITE SAYS" "Even my mother admired the photo session and say that she would like to try too... (LAUGHS) and maybe this would help us in the competition." 21. LINA BRAZDEIKYTE IN AIRPORT HALL 22. PICTURE OF LINA BRAZDEIKYTE IN MAGAZINE 23. (SOUNDBITE) (Lithuanian) LINA BRAZDEIKYTE SAYS: "The reaction was positive, people say the photos are cool but they will not influence our performance. We must prove ourselves on court." 25. AGNE ABROMATIE, LINA DAMBRAUSKAITE AND OTHER TEAM-MATES WAITING FOR FLIGHT DEPARTURE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
  • Country: Lithuania
  • Reuters ID: LVAC90MQJ99VUZOYCYXTQBFR8FQ8
  • Story Text: The women's basketball team has sparked a controversy
    in catholic Lithuania after posing nude for a magazine.



    Members of the Lithuanian women's basketball team have
    posed nude for the country's leading magazine on the sport in
    an attempt to boost interest in the European Championship
    starting in France this weekend.

    "We liked the idea because no one in Lithuania has ever
    done this before and it will have shock value. These photos
    will definitely attract more fans to women's basketball," the
    players told the latest issue of Krepsinis magazine.

    The cover of the magazine features three players and a
    couple of strategically placed basketballs.

    Student Brigita Zuromskyte said after buying the magazine
    at a news stand in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius: "If they
    have nice bodies - they can show themselves on magazine pages.

    That is my opinion."
    The women basketballers admitted the photos may cause some
    controversy in Lithuania, a country that is both basketball
    mad and staunchly catholic.

    "This idea is not original and would be god if could help
    them play better," said pensioner Richardas Zove.

    One of the players featuring in the magazine is Agne
    Abromaite, from local team Lietuvos Telekomas. "I was invited
    and I agreed. I like them very much, they are very artistic
    photos," said the 21 year-old forward.

    The photos can be seen on the internet at www.lrytas.lt
    but student Joris Katkevichus did not think it was worth
    looking at them: "They are not so beautiful for nudes photos
    and I don't think this would boost their chances."
    Agne Abromaite joined her team-mates to travel to France
    on Wednesay (September 12). Among them, there were two other
    players who agreed posing for the photos.

    Lina Dambrauskaite, a 33 year old-playmaker from BK
    Academic Test in Bulgaria, said with good humour: "Even my
    mother admired the photo session and say that she would like
    to try too, maybe this would help us in the competition."
    Lina Brazdeikyte, who is 27, was hoping the photos would
    help to close the gap in popularity between the men's and
    women's games.

    "The reaction was positive, people say the photos are
    cool but they will not influence our performance. We must
    prove ourselves on court," said the playmaker from Reims in
    France.


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